Peak Players Never Make Mundane Moves

(Just a few words short of 6000, so I won't round it up or split it into chapters. That's it, super big D!)

Oh no, I got so excited that I forgot my own perspective and stance.

However, this level of challenge was no match for the Clown. Cheng Shi quickly changed his expression to self-deprecation, then sighed with a wry smile:

"I was definitely not Fool's Game."

Upon hearing this, Afros's gaze instantly sharpened.

"At least not now, because my Mask has shattered." Cheng Shi shrugged and pointed to his current face. "When my Mask disappeared, I was no longer Fool's Game, and that's why I'm playing Cheng Shi."

Everything you see as illogical is because I made a bet with Him.

Afros's expression turned serious. "[Deception]!"

"Yes, it is my Lord of Grace [Deception]."

I must clarify one thing: before becoming Believer in "Destiny," I was already an Emissary of "Deception." I walked for "Nothingness" but unexpectedly encountered some friction with "Time."

This friction cannot be described as good or bad, but rather as a gamble. I lost the gamble, and thus the Mask that served as the Chip was shattered by Him.

After my Lord of Grace learned of this, He did not help me repair the Mask that represented my identity and Memory. Yes, you heard me right, that Mask was my true self.

"Why?"

"Why? Because... the God of Merriment needs fun, and what fun is there than losing Emissary status of his Emissary?"

What amused me most was that He found me personally, told me everything about my identity, and mocked me mercilessly.

I had no choice but to make another bet with Him in order to restore my true form.

The game involves starting from the beginning, from the Path of Fate's Beginning, piecing together my Mask as a player and stepping back into the center of the Stage of "Deception".

This is why I became Believer in "Destiny".

The game required me to no longer borrow His power, so at the Path of Fate's Beginning, I picked up the Dice that symbolized [Destiny]. After all, I am a [Nothingness] traveler, and apart from [Deception], I can only choose [Destiny] anew.

All the Deception tactics you see in me now are a part of my restored self-power after I regained my tongue.

So you should know now, Afros, this is all the secret of the "Fool's Game".

Aside from assuring you that it was Fool's Game, you'll have to judge for yourself whether what I say is a lie.

Because this is me, this is the Emissary of Deception, Fool's Game.

A liar... a fraud!

Afros was captivated. He was not only examining Cheng Shi's identity, but also using the information from Cheng Shi to complete his understanding of the New God of this era.

Seeing Cheng Shi's frankness, Afros laughed again:

"Interesting, so interesting. I love lies, whether it's deceiving or being deceived, desire always flows in lies."

You're right, my brother. When you can't control yourself from Deception others, the distance between us grows...

Closer now.

"..."

Cheng Shi chuckled twice, finally bringing the topic back on track.

"There's actually something I don't quite understand, and I'd like to ask you, someone who has lived through several eras..."

"An old relic?" Afros looked at Cheng Shi with a half-smile and said self-deprecatingly, "Tell me about it."

"How could it be an antique? It's clearly a living fossil of history!"

My doubts are related to one of Him.

"Oh? Who? Could it be my Lord of Grace?"

"No, it's [Decay]!"

This god, who descended after the Filth and Decay, seems to be unforgiving towards His Believer.

I have encountered a nation that Faith Him, but even though those people devoted the entire nation to Him, He did not bestow even a single blessing upon these followers.

This is somewhat different from what I know of Him, so I would like to ask you, what kind of being is He exactly?

Upon hearing the word "Decay," Afros's expression became noticeably serious.

He pondered for a moment, then sighed and said:

"If it is not absolutely necessary, I suggest you... stay away from Him."

Cheng Shi's pupils contracted. "Why?"

Not all curiosity leads to a conclusion; [Decay] is unlike any other god.

In a way, His Will is somewhat similar to that of my Lord of Grace [the one Birth].

???

Are the wills of "Decay" and "Birth" similar?

One of them is decaying and decaying, while the other is giving birth to new life. How are they similar?

"The will I'm referring to is not the will of the gods Mortals speculate about, but their own will..."

I can't tell you much, but I can assure you that what you experienced is true.

In the First times, He was indeed very Indifference, even cruel and harsh!

The Decay period of the Sinking Age did not last long, or rather, the so-called Era of Depravity was only characterized by the rampant Filth and Decay, which lasted for a sufficiently long time.

Both "Decay" and "Annihilation" are fleeting moments; from the perspective of the long river of history, the period when their Faith flourished was not even a ripple.

It wasn't until the arrival of the Civilization era that [Decay]'s attitude towards all living beings Change slightly, and it began to possess... compassion.

Later on, He gradually became unlike the First Him, and turned into what He is now.

If you want to know more, my brother, my advice is it's best not to.

Because all of His Change are related to that being I don't want to mention!

Cheng Shi shuddered, and the terrifying Divine Name flashed through his mind once again: [Origin]!

The Change in [Decay] are related to [the Origin]!?

So why did He Change, and what is his relationship with that [*He] Afros avoided at all costs?

When the conversation turned to topics that shouldn't be discussed, Cheng Shi fell silent.

After a long while, he nodded and said "thank you".

"No need to thank me. The stories I heard from you today are far more interesting than what I told you."

I should thank you for helping me understand this era better.

However, I've noted down the fact that you bought on credit.

My brother, remember to pay me back next time. Of course, I'm open to whatever method you choose.

"..."

Cheng Shi's eyes twitched slightly, but he didn't dare to answer. After thinking for a moment, he felt that the time was almost up, so he bid farewell to Afros and prepared to leave to return to the Trials.

But just as he stood up, Afros couldn't help but ask curiously:

Aren't you going to say anything more to me?

Cheng Shi was taken aback, his heart skipped a beat, but he smiled and said, "What else do you want to know?"

Afros glanced at Cheng Shi with interest and gestured with his eyes to the Ring of Bone Servant Lele'er on his finger.

"A very strange ring. Last time, I only noticed its presence but didn't sense anything else. But this time, you returned to me with the power of [death], and I discovered that this ring actually faintly exudes a..."

The smell of Filth and Decay.

"Interesting. You come before me carrying a remnant of a [Filth and Decay] Believer's soul, yet you remain silent about it. Are you perhaps waiting for me to ask you a question?"

!!

???

What is it?

The Filth and Decay soul of Believer!?

Cheng Shi was shocked, utterly shocked!

It's worth noting that even if Afros sensed Lele'er's Divinity, he wouldn't be surprised, since Lele'er was also related to "Filth and Decay".

The problem is that Divinity and remnant soul are not the same thing. This remnant soul is clearly something that is half-dead but not quite dead mixed into his ring!

When!?

I didn't even notice!

Cheng Shi's heart sank, and he immediately realized what this remnant soul was!

Screaming Count, Gongyang Jiao!

No wonder!

No wonder this madman fought so fiercely, no wonder this madman is not afraid of death at all. Cheng Shi had thought that it was impossible to kill the ram directly this time, the opponent must have a way to resurrect.

But he never expected that this audacious player would dare to "pollute" his ring!

Is the other party coveting this ring, or is this the Screaming Count's unique method of resurrection?

Could he parasitize fear and revive in the fear of others?

What a Peak Player! He fooled himself with his own death!

Having figured all this out, Cheng Shi felt extremely heavy-hearted, but he showed no sign of it on his face. Instead, he laughed heartily and replied:

"It's inevitable that one person's efficiency will be somewhat low when doing things alone. If you see a suitable thug, you'll naturally want to grab him to do hard labor."

It would be useless to try to persuade Cheng Shi out of Cheng Shi position, so the only thing to do was to bring him to see a play.

Don't worry, he wouldn't dare tell anyone.

Cheng Shi lied again.

Because he knew absolutely nothing, he had no idea what the state of the remnant soul inside the ring was, whether it could hear outside sounds, or what its next move was, yet he still said it, his purpose being to make something that didn't exist seem real!

Yes, he suddenly realized that Gongyang Jiao was indeed a suitable worker.

He's quite capable in combat, but not very bright, and he's always going crazy.

This combination of qualities means that no matter what you do, you don't need to explain yourself much; you're practically a scapegoat... no, a holy body for doing illegal work!

So at this moment, Cheng Shi told a lie that fooled two people at the same time—no, one person and one god!

He even began to hope that the Gongyang Jiao that was parasitizing the ring could hear his conversation with Afros.

If all goes well, the other party might become a tool of Master [Fool's Game], just like Long Jing.

Of course, any sensible player would know that they have no right to refuse, especially a Believer in the "Filth and Decay" who knows that the Fool's Game and the "Filth and Decay" Emissary Afros so close. He has even less reason to refuse.

Afros nodded knowingly upon hearing Cheng Shi's response.

Hiring underlings is a very common thing.

"So, you consider the matter of using the courthouse entrance to be over?"

Cheng Shi was taken aback, then waved his hand. "No, no, this is only the first one. The rest... will probably require a few more visits."

"I like your interruptions, but I would prefer you to put your Mask back on as soon as possible and talk to me as a real Fool's Game."

I don't particularly like the taste of death. If you ever come, knock on the door if you need me to appear; otherwise, I'd rather share an Afterglow with you at the long table on the terrace in Dolgo D, as the sun sets.

After saying this, Afros smiled gracefully, turned and walked into the depths of the courthouse, and the door closed behind him.

At that moment, Cheng Shi raised his hand with a gloomy expression and looked at the ring on his hand.

"Did you enjoy listening to that?"